Although the Islamic State group has been defeated militarily in Iraq , members of the militia group still find areas to hide. S ome parts of the Sunni population give them shelter. The y also find cover in the mountains around Hawija . From their hiding places, they set up attacks: Suddenly popping up at improvised checkpoints in the winding roads that lead through the hills, they arrest or kill those passing, or take hostages and blackmail the government for possible prisoner exchanges. They also place IEDs and send su i cide attackers into cities in the region. Iraqi federal police have out posts in the region, but their patrols only operate during the day. At night, they retreat to their bases, when t he caliphate of terror becomes a guerrilla terror group. The Islamic State group’s favorite targets are members of the Shia militia al-Hashd al-Shaabi. Also known as the Popular Mobilization Forces, are Shia-dominated militia was created in 2014 following a fatwa issued by Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, Iraq’s most influential Shiite cleric. Victory over the Islamic State group in Iraq would be inconceivable without al-Hashd al-Shaabi, which filled t he gap left by the Iraqi Army . B ut they are also an Iran-supported force operating in a traditional Sunni area in Iraq . And members of the Shia-dominated m ilit ia have been accused of massacring Iraqi Sunnis . Today, al-Hashd al-Shaabi is fighting sleeper cells and defending against Islamic State group attacks . Unlike the Iraqi f ederal police in the region , they can react quickly because t hey don’t have to follow a strict chain of command . _____ Based in Berlin, freelance photojournalist Sebastian Backhaus covers humanitarian crises and wars throughout the Middle East. These photographs were taken while Backhaus was embedded with the al-Hashd al-Shaabi during their search for hidden Islamic State group members. _____ See more news-related photo galleries and follow us on Yahoo News Photo Twitter and Tumblr.

The husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway describes his role in the Bill Clinton-Paula Jones case, and reveals himself as the source who tipped off Michael Isikoff to the bombshell news that Ken Starr was investigating Clinton’s affair with Monica Lewinsky.

Hundreds of Tijuana residents congregated around a monument in an affluent section of the city south of California on Sunday to protest the thousands of Central American migrants who have arrived via caravan in hopes of a new life in the U.S. Tensions have built as nearly 3,000 migrants from the caravan poured into Tijuana in recent days after more than a month on the road, and with many more months ahead of them while they seek asylum. The federal government estimates the number of migrants could soon swell to 10,000.

President Donald Trump arrived in Northern California on Saturday to see firsthand the grief and devastation from the deadliest U.S. wildfire in a century amid confusion over how many people remain unaccounted for.

The Trump administration’s Middle East strategy to isolate and contain Iran is jeopardized by Saudi Arabia’s brazen slaying of a dissident journalist and Turkey’s determination to exploit the crisis for its own gain.

Matt Whitaker, the acting attorney general appointed by President Trump to replace Jeff Sessions, has deep roots in Iowa — and a history there that a leading Democrat says “raises troubling questions” about how he has used his official powers.

An obscure conservative podcast recorded by a former Trump administration official last Sunday provided a unique window into acting Attorney General Matt Whitaker and the reasons some have found his appointment alarming.

A drive across the Golden Gate Bridge is decidedly less scenic as a result of the Camp Fire. Visibility is so low that the tops of the iconic spires are a hazy blur, and the view of Alcatraz is all but obliterated.

While transparency advocates and First Amendment activists have consistently worried that Assange’s arrest and conviction would set a bad precedent for the media if Assange is charged with espionage for publishing classified documents, it’s possible the charges will have to do with his solicitation of those materials.

George Conway, the husband of White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, said the GOP has become “a personality cult” under President Trump and that he would “move to Australia” rather than vote for Trump again.

The family of Bijan Ghaisar has been emptied, like a building cleared before demolition. Only the shell still stands, rocked by gusts of anger, not only over the killing of Bijan by federal law enforcement agents but also by the official silence that has marked the last twelve months.

Despite political differences, California Gov. Jerry Brown and Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke acknowledged that many factors contribute to the state’s current wildfire problem, and vowed to work together.

The bulk of the migrant caravan crossing Mexico began arriving Thursday at the U.S. border, as around 800 Central Americans reached the city of Tijuana aboard 22 buses after more than a month’s trek. “We’ve finally reached Tijuana. It’s been a never-ending journey, but God brought us here,” said Carmen Soto, a Honduran migrant traveling with her two young children.

Defense Secretary Jim Mattis defended the use of active duty troops on the U.S.-Mexican border, saying that in some ways it provides good training for war. The Pentagon chief said that within a week to 10 days the 5,800 troops currently deployed for the border mission will have accomplished all the tasks initially requested by Customs and Border Protection, although additional tasks are now being worked out between the Pentagon and the Department of Homeland Security. In addition to the 5,800 active duty troops in the border area, about 2,100 National Guard troops have been providing border support since April.